An Unexpected Alliance
by Freehandarts
Summary: A mysterious demon brought death into Makai during the confusion with the Meikai revolt. What will the Reikai Tantei do to avenge their fallen friends and how are the Inu brothers involved in all this? Rated T for expected violence, slight gore, possible character death and a (mildly) potty-mouthed hanyou. PS- the title stinks - INDEFINITE HIATUS -
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, this will be my first fanfic ever. Please read and review, let me know what you guys think. I don't mind criticisms, so long as they're constructive.**

**As for the story, for the Inuyasha universe, this is set 2 years after Kagome vanished into the well after Naraku's defeat, so she hasn't returned yet. There might be some OOCness involved, since I made the inu brothers' relationship better than what the manga or anime would make it. But I think it's slightly acceptable since Sesshomaru has, towards the end of the series, somewhat acknowledged Inuyasha's capabilities. In case I make any future references to any of them, this will also be set after all four Inuyasha movies. As for the Yu Yu Hakusho universe, this is set right after the movie Poltergeist Report. It is also assumed to be post series, since it was unclear where the movies fit into the anime/manga storylines.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy reading this fic.**

**PS- The first few chapters will be set in the YuYu Hakusho universe, but the story itself is predominantly Inuyasha-themed when I imagine it.**

* * *

**Prologue**

_Drip. Drip, drip. Drip._

She panted heavily, her vision now getting cloudier and cloudier. Blood was starting to seep through her clothes and is dripping down, soaking into the hard packed earth beneath her feet. She had been bleeding profusely from multiple wounds that now adorned her body - four large, wide claw marks across her back, deep gashes have broken the skin of her limbs, and the worst one yet was the gaping hole through her stomach where her enemy's hand went through. She was certain that multiple bones were also shattered, but the pain is now all over her body that it was hard to locate exactly which bones were broken.

She tried desperately to blink away the black dots that were blocking her vision, but the swelling in her left cheek just made it almost impossible to open her left eye properly. It was, no doubt, now bruising into a deep purple.

She glared up at the figure floating a few meters away. Through her blurred vision, all she could see was her enemy in its humanoid form, but then again, there was nothing human about it. It was clad in white, with red adornments at the sleeves and shoulders. It had on an armor which only came up to mid-chest, and tied around its waist was a long yellow and fabric. Something long and white was bellowing in the wind behind the creature, something which she could only guess to be the creature's hair.

As far as she could tell, she had been in battle for a few days now. _Or has it been closer to a week? Two weeks?_ She had lost track of time. She did not know where this intruder had come from, but from the cries that had erupted from all around Makai, she would say that she was not the only one that got caught by surprise when these unknown demons started attacking. At first, the cries of her comrades have been that of excitement, as expected from blood thirsty and battle ready demons like Yomi, or those friends of Raizen's. Then, their cries slowly started to sound strained, then pained and desperate, before dying out, one by one. She remembered hearing Yomi cry out last. After that was when this mysterious intruder finally faced her.

_He's been picking us off, one by one_, she finally thought to herself. That must have been it, that must be the reason why her comrades fell, one after the other. This white figure was surely the one who brought the final blow.

_And yet he's never moved from that spot since he got here_. It was true, the figure has been floating in the same spot for a while now. Not bothering to strike her where she stood.

The creature stood, or floated, still, while hordes of lower-level youkais swirled about it. She noted that her enemy somehow has control over the lowly youkais, as their attacks were clearly well coordinated. Waves upon waves of youkai would swoop down and attack her, not giving her the opportunity to rest. She would have easily deflected them, even killed them all in one strike. But days of endless fighting were starting to take a toll on her. Soon her movements become sluggish. That's when the youkais' started hitting their marks. A scratch here, a gash there. Not long after, she finally ended up in the state she is now in.

Her eyes widened at the sudden realization. _He's waiting for me to tire out! That's how the coward has been going around killing everybody. He lets these lowly insects weaken and tire us out before he delivers the final blo-_

Her thoughts were interrupted when another wave of youkais swooped down attacked her head on. Taking a second for the attack to register, Mukuro tried to evade, stumbling backwards in the process. Still, a youkai was successful at landing another wound on her shoulder, albeit it wasn't too deep.

The creature finally found it time to strike. With an unnatural speed, her enemy was right in front of her and had its claws at her throat, smashing her to anything standing behind her across the landscape, before forcefully slamming her against a boulder. She felt her feet lifted off the ground as the fingers curled tighter around her neck, slowly choking the life out of her body. _Shit! I've really gotten slow… _She felt darkness creeping in from the corners of her vision, as she struggled and clawed at the arm that was strangling her.

Her attacks on the arm started to slow and weaken. Finally, her oxygen-deprived body can no longer sustain the attacks. She dropped her hands to her sides, while her screaming lungs made her gasp desperately for air. When she still got none, her body started to convulse violently, but the grip around her throat never relented.

A smirk slowly formed on her enemy's lips as it could feel the life slowly draining from her body. Yet the grip around her throat was unrelenting and it only tightened even more.

The convulsions finally stopped. Mukuro could feel herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The burning sensation in her chest is now becoming a dull pain, as was all her pains everywhere else. With what little strength she could muster, she cracked her eyes open and forced them to focus on her attacker's face, memorizing whatever detail she could make out, despite her failing vision. The last thing she saw was a blue crescent moon, centered atop two slits of molten gold eyes. With a last twitch of her fingers, Mukuro slowly let the heavy darkness consume her into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So there you have it, the prologue the story. Who attacked the Makai? Could it possibly be...? Stay tuned to find out. **

**I'll be posting as regularly as I can.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

**Hello, It's me again, back with another chapter, a real one, this time. Hope you enjoyed the prologue. It will make sense soon, I promise. Anyway, without further adieu, here's the next installment. Please read and review, thanks!**

* * *

Chapter 1

"And that's about everything," Yusuke finished off while scratching the back of his head.

He and his friends were all gathered in Koenma's office. They've been summoned by the King of the Reikai so that they could give a complete account of what happened during the attack of the Meikai god Yakumo and his followers to the Ningenkai.

"So let me get this straight: you have managed to defeat both Yakumo and the Power Sphere, but are not completely certain as to whether or not they are truly destroyed?" the baby Koenma inquiry through teeth that were clenched around his binky. His chin rests on laced fingers, elbows resting on top of the table as he studied Yusuke with a sarcastic expression.

"What? No! I mean, I've hit him with all I've got, are you kidding me? Nothing could have survived that." Yusuke opened and closed his hands into fists, trying to relieve the appendages of the cramp starting to build in them.

Koenma raised an eyebrow at him as he shifted so that his chin now rests on the back of his left hand, while his right picked at his ear. He rolled his eyes, "Right… And you're totally not fidgeting right now, lying to yourself through your teeth."

"I-I'm not lying!" Yusuke protested, trying but failing miserably to stop the corner of his eye from twitching. "I was just hoping that since this was the Reikai, then we can at least try to track Yakumo's soul. If he's in the record of the underworld, then he must have really died, and we can assume that the Power Sphere is also destroyed." He crossed his arms and scoffed lightly, before adding, "Just to make sure!"

Koenma pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately trying not to roll his eyes again at the boy's insolence. Finally letting out a deep sigh, he answered, "Well, whatever the case, that's just the thing. Due to Meikai's attack on Reikai, we are still under renovations."

As if to prove his point, a Reikai helper whizzed past them carrying soaking wet scrolls under both arms. The four men standing talking to Koenma parted to let the helper pass, converging again to their original positions while quizzically looking at the helper's retreating back. In the background, a few more ogres could be seen going about their own businesses. Some were cleaning the walls, others were mopping the floor. Most of them scurrying around with drenched scrolls, frantically looking for spots to hang them to dry.

It was then that Yusuke actually looked around the office. The office itself was also emptier than usual. The large wooden desk behind which Koenma usually sits is not there and his high back executive chair is temporarily replaced with a simple wooden chair and a small table. This made the already ridiculous-looking child-man that runs the place look even more ridiculous.

"Like I was saying, we're currently under renovations. Everything's been washed out by the flood that even the records of those whom we KNOW to be dead are either missing or destroyed." Koenma sighed again, "It will take years to bring the archives back in order, especially since more souls come in to be processed everyday."

"I see, so it will be quite impossible for us to know for certain right now if Yakumo's soul has indeed crossed over to the underworld," Kurama thoughtfully chimed in. "In any case it seems like there is nothing we can do right now other than pray for the best, but prepare for the worst."

Koenma nodded slightly. "Very well said, Kurama."

"In that case, no point moping around, right?" Kuwabara nonchalantly chuckled. "Let's move on already, you guys."

Yusuke shook his head at him before addressing Koenma again, "How's Botan holding up, by the way?"

"Botan's fine, thank you for asking," came a familiar voice.

Everybody turned to see Hinageshi walking through the office doors and standing beside Hiei.

"And don't worry, I'm personally making sure that she gets plenty of rest. I've even taken over her duty for now." Hinageshi grinned goofily at the crowd while playfully linking arms with Hiei. "After all, what are friends for, right?" She flashed a big smile at the grumpy demon.

"Woman, you better take that hand off me. I do not appreciate being touched without permission," Hiei grumbled while glaring at the limb pulling at his right arm. Hinegeshi quickly let go and backed away.

Suddenly, the doors flew open with such a force that they hit the walls, bouncing off them slightly. Jorge scrambled into the room, frantically screaming, "Lord Koenma! Lord Koenma!"

"What is it?"

Jorge took a deep breath before attempting to speak again. "Trouble in the Makai, Sir. demon spirits are pouring through the gates. I-I…"

"Well, speak up. What happened exactly?"

"We are n-not sure wh-what exactly happened. Our guides h-have their hands full at the m-moment since many have died in both the Ningenkai and the Makai."

Yusuke piped in, concern clearly written on his visage. "The Makai? Why, what happened to the Makai?"

"We haven't got the whole story, but I think it would be best if he explained it himself." Jorge looked down at his feet, shifting uncomfortably where he stood.

"Who? Who is best to explain?" Kurama furrowed his brows.

Jorge looked up to meet Kurama's gaze. "Yomi."

* * *

Kurama burst into the room to find Yomi sitting in a chair behind a small table in the middle of the room, thoughtlessly sipping a cup of tea. Kurama walked forward briskly, stopping in front of the table before slamming both fists on it angrily.

"What is the meaning of this, Yomi?" his friends, along with Koenma start filing into the room, just in time to witness the exchange.

Yomi calmly put down his tea and _looked_ up at Kurama. "Ah, Kurama, my beautiful Kurama. How are you? You rarely ever visit me these days. I did not think that I would have to actually die first before getting to see you again." Yomi took another long sip from his tea.

"Yomi, answer the question! What are you doing here?"

Yomi frowned. "Is it not obvious? I died." He placed his cup down before crossing his arms over his chest in a regal manner.

Everyone's eyes widened with shock. Who could possibly be so strong to be able to kill Yomi? Not even when the Three Gods of Makai were at war was any one of them able to kill the others. _Was it Mukuro? Why? And how could Enki possibly allow such a violent fight in Makai? _"How?!"

"How or why is not important right now." Yomi's voice took a more serious tone before turning to face Hiei. "I believe you have more urgent matters to attend to, little one. Mukuro is the only one of us left."

In the blink of an eye, Hiei was crouching on the table, both fists grabbed Yomi's collar, pulling him up closer to Hiei. Anger and concern were plainly displayed as his face twisted into a snarl. "What's happened to her?"

"I am uncertain. But since I have not yet seen her in Reikai, I am hoping against hope that she still lives." Yomi placed a comforting hand on Hiei's own. "But she might not last long. The intruder is far too powerful to be stopped. You must go to her, _quickly_!"

Hiei tipped his head in agreement and gratitude for the information. He gently released Yomi and ripped off the seal of his Jagan eye. Free from the seal, the Jagan slowly cracked open. Energy swirled around Hiei, a soft wind current formed, shifting their clothes slightly.

Electricity fizzled and zapped in the far corner of the room. Then, suddenly, the air around the sparks started swirling and warping the space. A portal leading to Makai opened, the foul smell of the air slowly wafting into the room.

"Thank you for this," Hiei said to Yomi before turning to his friends. "You may join me or you may not. Either way, do not try and stop me, I will go and save her."

"Heh, you don't seriously believe we won't be going with you?" Yusuke placed a hand on one hip, while the other he drew up into a fist at his side. He shifted his weight so that he leaned on his left foot, determination glinting off his eyes.

Kuwabara cracked his knuckles while rolling neck. "Let's get it on!"

Kurama stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Hiei's shoulder. "Come on, let's go save her."

The faintest smile appeared on Hiei's lips before they all jumped into the portal leading to Makai.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hang on, Mukuro! Hiei and the gang are coming! Stay tuned to find out what happens next.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update, but I hope chapter 2 here makes up for it. Also, I got my first review, yay! Thank you for that and it's awesome to know that you're waiting to see how this turns out (I'm not dntirely sure yet, tbh). But I'm sure we can figure this out together.**

**Now, on with the story.**

* * *

Chapter 2

_Hot. Hot, it's so hot. It burns… please make it stop. Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!_

It felt as though tongues of fire were licking up and down her body. It's painful to lay still, but it's even more painful to move. Her head feels like cracking. Every breath was torture. And the pain was constant, that blinding pain engulfing her body.

She would rather sleep. A while ago she was asleep. There had been no pain. But she's much too terrified to fall asleep. All she dreams of was the white intruder and his menacing, golden eyes, the enjoyment he seemed to have while watching her writhe in pain, desperately gasping for air. The amusement in his eyes as he starts to see fear in her own.

Mukuro was once one of the Three Kings of the Makai. No one would even dare speak to her, let alone look at her with mockery. It pains her to think of the shame and fear that washed over her when defeat and death seemed inevitable. She felt like being dragged back, forced to relive the life that she once had when she was a slave.

She feels consciousness slowly creeping up on her as the pain intensified. _No, please, let me sleep. Let me rest and sleep and never wake_. It hurts too much when she's awake.

But still she could feel herself gaining more and more consciousness. She could faintly hear a voice speaking in the background but could not make out the words. There was too much ringing in her ears for them to cooperate. She was certain, however, that there was just one voice talking.

Her concentration on the voice was broken when she felt a cold hand brush against her temple, stroking all the way down to her chin, only to come back up and cup her cheek. The tenderness of the contact made her flinch and shudder, causing pain to shoot up her spine.

Panic started to well up in her chest as she felt a thumb slowly caressing under her eye, tracing the lash line. When the hand left her cheek, she tried desperately to crack her eyes open.

At first it was bright, so bright that the world seemed like a blank, white space. After slowly and painfully blinking a few times, things around her slowly started to come into focus. She was somewhere dark and smelled damp, so perhaps a cave somewhere. There was something soft underneath her so that she didn't lie on the cold, hard ground. What it was exactly, Mukuro could not say for sure.

She could now see a fuzzy image of a man kneeling beside her dipping a piece of cloth into a basin. This, presumably, was the same man to whom the voice belongs to. As the image became clearer, she could see that the man had long, curly jet black hair which cascaded down his back in ripples and a pair of crimson eyes. He was fair, handsome and well-built, but his attire is somewhat reminiscent of what ningens used to wear a few hundred years ago. He was wringing out a piece of cloth before turning his attention back to his patient.

He smiled down at her when he realized his ward was now awake. He was saying something as he gently placed the cloth over her forehead, but Mukuro didn't quite catch the whole message.

"Oh… awake… Good thing… bad shape… safe now."

Everything went black as Mukuro gave into the blinding pain that suddenly shot through her body.

* * *

The Reikai Tantei stepped out of the portal, quickly surveying the area. The smell of death hung thickly in the Makai air like a strong, suffocating musk.

"Phew, is it just me or does this place get stinkier every time I get here?" Kuwabara blurted out while making a scowl and covering his nose.

Hiei ignored him and flashed to the top of the highest tree around. Closing his eyes to focus, his Jagan frantically searched far and wide for any trace of his mate. The overwhelming death and despair in the atmosphere did very little to dissuade the man in his search. Pushing past the negativity attacking his senses, Hiei continued to look for any trace the air may have of Mukuro's whereabouts.

"There is no doubt that a great massacre has indeed befallen Makai. That is what has made its foul-smelling air this much fouler," Kurama stated, not necessarily as an answer to Kuwabara's remark. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must transform myself into Youko." With that, he turned slightly and closed his eyes. His energy fluctuated as his features slowly changed into the silver-haired fox. The crimson hair of the human Shuichi slowly faded into the silvery locks of Youko. His human ears receded into his head as fox ears of the same silver sprouted atop his head, a similarly colored, bushy fox tail also sprang forth before swishing side to side, as if stretching out the kinks, his green eyes brightened into a luminous yellow gold and his pupils dilated slightly to take the forest in more detail.

Yusuke walked over to the tree that Hiei was in, shouting up to his friend, "Hey, Hiei! Find Mukuro yet?"

Hiei's eyes flew open. He secured the seal back over his Jagan before jumping back down to the ground. He turned to his friends and spoke, "I think I have found her, or at least where she's been."

The rest of the group nodded and followed him through the eerie woods. As they ran, Kuwabara looked around, taking in his surroundings better. Tall, bone white trees lined up on the side of the path they were on. Slender tendrils of the branches reached out and up towards the sky. They creaked and groaned as the wind blew by, bringing the dead limbs back to life. The sky was overcast, as it normally is in the Makai. Crimson and scarlet hues tinted the heavy clouds above, as if all the blood spilt on the land seeped into them, forever tainting them red. Despite all this, there was no doubt in his mind that there was something simply enchanting about the albino woods.

After some time running, they finally reach a clearing.

Youko placed two fingers on a dark spot on a fallen trunk. It came back slick and sticky. He sniffed at the substance, but quickly drew back with a scowl. _Blood! _Kurama rubbed his fingers to his thumb to better feel the consistency. "Judging by the fallen trees and splattered blood, there was definitely a battle that occurred here. Also, by the consistency of the blood, I'd say that we had just barely missed it, too." He then started sniffing and sampling the air around the clearing.

"Damn it! Where are you, Mukuro?" Hiei hissed under his breath, exasperated.

Yusuke stepped closer to him, reassuring him. "We'll find her, don't worry. She's still alive, I know it."

Frustrated, Hiei was about to rip off the Jagan's seal again when Kurama spoke. "I smell three different scents from this place. One of them belonged to Mukuro, obviously. The other two I am unfamiliar with…" He trailed off, returning to sniffing at the air.

_There were two? But Yomi clearly said "the intruder", not "intruders!" What does this mean?_ Yusuke could not figure out what was going on. _How did this attack on Makai happen and, more importantly, why?_

Kuwabara was also visibly getting more and more uncomfortable. He didn't know much about the Makai, only what the demons had let him in on. But he did know that that other guy back in Reikai named Yomi was supposed to be very powerful, one of the most powerful beings of this realm, to be exact. Hiei's mate Mukuro was also one of them. But to have one dead and the other one missing, possibly dead as well, it was unsettling to think how powerful this new enemy must be.

Kurama spoke again, but this time with a confused expression. "I have found which direction Mukuro's scent goes, but there are two things that bother me: one, is that one of the unidentified scents just vanished. There is no trail." His friends looked just about as puzzled as he is at the statement. Youko continued, "The other thing that concerns me is that when Mukuro headed in that direction," He raised a single, elegant finger to indicate the direction, "she was not alone. I do not know what this means but-"

Suddenly, Youko's posture stiffened. His ears stood tall atop his head, his tails stopped swaying, his muscles tensed up, setting his jaw, and a low growl started to rise from deep within his chest.

"What's wrong, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, "What do you sense?"

"I smell him, the one who took Mukuro." Youko flexed his claws, as if ready to pounce. "And he's coming towards us."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**L'gasp! Who are these mysteeious characters that Youko smell? How are they related to Mukuro's case? Find out in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Hey! Didn't think there'd be so many of you guys here. Huh, I must be doing something right, right? Or maybe something very wrong. Either way, glad to see y'all here! Thank you so much for the support.**

**Anyway, on with the show! ... Err... story!**

* * *

Chapter 3

The four took up their battle stances. Hiei firmly gripped the hilt of his katana while widening his stance. Kurama drew out a rose which turned into a whip with a flick of his wrist. He snapped the whip to the ground a couple of times, testing its feel in his hand. Kuwabara conjured up his spirit sword, the reiki pulsing and humming throughout the length of the construct. Yusuke cracked his knuckles and took on a fighting stance. All four of them waited in anticipation for what will emerge from the trees.

They could feel the aura this being is giving off. It was quite strong, strong enough to be an S rank demon, possibly even in the upper S rank, at that. But other than this, they could not read this demon. He was someone unfamiliar to the four.

Finally, the demon stepped out into the clearing. At first glance, he looked quite strange. His eyes visibly widened as he saw the four ready to attack. He quickly threw up his hands as a sign of peace. He spoke, "Woah, woah, woah. Easy now, easy." He looked at each of the four, carefully studying them.

"Who are you and where is Mukuro?" Hiei growled at the demon.

"Mukuro… Does this Mukuro person happen to be a female demon, with one mechanical eye?" The strange demon asked, almost mockingly.

Yusuke lowered his fists a bit, cocked his head slightly to one side, yet he never dropped the glare he was giving the demon. He asked, "You know Mukuro?"

The demon shrugged, but kept his hands up. "Well, I don't know her, but I have seen her. I can take you to where she is."

The rest of the group eased up their tension a bit, but Hiei kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Take us to her then!" Kuwabara eagerly said with a huff, as he firmly placed both his hands on either hip as soon as his spirit sword dissipated.

"Wait!" Kurama placed a firm hand on Kuwabara's chest. "How do you know where she is?"

The demon started to lower his hands, chuckling slightly while shaking his head. "So untrusting, you people are." He sighed before continuing, "I found her in this clearing, wounded and near-death. I took her somewhere safe and tended to her wounds."

"WHERE?" Hiei growled, the hand that once rested lightly on the hilt of his sword now grasped it firmly.

"Calm yourself…" the demon almost sneered back at him, clearly annoyed by the interrogation. "I can show you. Follow me." With that he turned around and walked a small distance before turning his head to speak again, with a tiny smirk on his lips. "Unless, of course, you would rather not."

The four looked at each other, each acknowledging that they had no other choice than to follow the demon's retreating back.

* * *

They followed the demon some short distance before they reached a small cave. The cave had a stream flowing out from it.

_The churning water will mask the scent of blood. Ingenious! _Youko thoughtfully looked at the swift current underfoot.

The demon motioned to follow him inside. The four, although hesitant, reluctantly filed in through the narrow opening.

The cave is larger than what its opening would have them believe. Majestic stalactites hung down from the ceiling. The stream seemed to originate from somewhere deeper into the cave. Beside the stream, near the wall, was a ledge. On the ledge were some dried leaves, and on top lay a severely injured Mukuro.

"MUKURO!" All four men shouted in unison as they ran towards the lying figure. Their path, however, was blocked by the strange demon that led them in, his arms outstretched on either side in a protective stance.

"Keep it down! Can you not see she is asleep?" the unnamed demon growled softly. Behind him, Mukuro stirred with a low moan.

"You will let me see my mate, or so help me I will rip you to shreds!" Hiei hissed back, malice clearly dripping from his voice and his face twisted into a snarl.

Just then, Mukuro started thrashing in her sleep, muttering to herself barely audible for the rest to hear, let alone make out the words. As her thrashing became more and more violent, so did her cries of pain and anguish. The men looked at her with deep concern.

Suddenly, Mukuro bolted upright, her eyes flying wide open, and screamed to the top of her lungs, "NOOOOOO!"

Faster than the eye could see, Hiei flitted across the cave and was at Mukuro's side in an instant, both hands grasping either shoulder, trying to wake his mate from whatever nightmare was plaguing her. "Mate! Mukuro! Wake up!" Hiei shook his mate sharply.

Mukuro thrashed even harder, trying desperately to free herself from the hands that gripped her firmly. "No! Stop it! No, please, no…" Tears were flowing freely down her supple cheeks, blotched in shades of brown and yellow of healing bruises.

Hiei was at a loss. Never has he seen his strong, beautiful mate in such disarray, such… vulnerability. He raised a hand and gently cupped the other's cheek. "Please, Mukuro, come back to me, my love."

As if she was hearing him for the first time, Mikuro slowly blinked. "Hiei?"

Hiei ran a thumb under her eyes to wipe away her tears. "That's right, my love, it's me. It's me."

Mukuro blinked again. Though if she was blinking to push back her tears or if she was blinking to focus her vision, it was uncertain. Her face finally lit up with realization. "Hiei!" She threw her arms around the male in front of her and planted a needy kiss on his lips.

Hiei returned a gentle, but passionate kiss, while pulling the body closer to his. The kiss has short, but it spoke volumes for the two lovers.

Hiei was the first to break the kiss, though he only backed up enough that their foreheads were now resting on each other's. He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of his mate, liking how their breaths would mingle between them.

He finally opened his eyes. A pair of crimson met a pair of wet, glistening indigo eyes. They held each other's gazes for a while. Hiei finally spoke, "I thought I had lost you."

"Well, I certainly am glad that you two are happy." The unnamed demon interrupted the lovers' moment, arms crossed over his chest, a smirk upon his lips.

Mukuro turned away, a light blush creeping up her cheeks. She was suddenly shy of how she had behaved in front of all these people, whose presence she hadn't noticed before.

Hiei glared at the rude man. The man just shrugged and smiled brighter at him.

"What happened to her?" Yusuke asked. His eyes darted back and forth from Hiei to the demon, the tension between them was palpable.

The demon shifted to face Yusuke. "I am unsure of what has really happened to her. I could only surmise that she has been attacked by a stronger being."

"There is very few who can match Mukuro in strength, and practically none who could overpower her," Youko stated in a matter-of-fact tone before his features changed into a more confused one. "Then again," he said while tapping his chin thoughtfully, his rose whip long transformed back into a rose, "Yomi, being one of the former Three Makai Kings, is arguably just as strong as Mukuro, and yet he's…" He bowed his head slightly, letting his bangs cover his eyes. The fox did not want to speak about how his friend is now dead, as if not admitting it would make it any less true.

"But then, that would mean that whoever did this is someone we don't know," Kuwabara concluded. His eyes suddenly grew wide as he raised an accusing finger at their mystery man. "For all we know it could have been him all along!"

"No!" Mukuro snapped, stumbling out of Hiei's embrace. She steadied herself before continuing. "No, no, he is not. I've seen my attacker. There is no way it could have been him." She grabbed Hiei's arm for support. It was getting harder to remain upright with all her injuries. She swallowed a groan of pain before continuing, yet she was now panting slightly at her effort. "The man... who attacked me… was clad in… in white and red… has… white hair and… and golden… eyesss…" Mukuro fainted, but Hiei caught her before she planted face first into the ground. Before losing consciousness, she uttered, "Blue moon…"

Hiei stared at the sleeping form of his mate. He placed her gently onto the makeshift bed. He then turned to face the mystery demon. His eyes were softer, but still he glared slightly at the demon. "That still does not explain who you are," he said pointedly.

The rest of the group stared inquiringly at him.

"Oh my, where are my manners?" He bowed regally and peered through his bangs. He smiled a mischievous smile and spoke, "I am Naraku."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**WHAT IN THE ACTUAL *BLEEEEEEPP*! The frik is going on? I tot he alredi ded? I donn get it! Why you do dis, Freehandarts? Whyyyy? **

**Keep reading, I'll tell you. Mwahahahahahaha!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Woah, I now officially have followers for this story. Really awesome, thank you. Thanks for waiting so very patiently all this time. Even if I was a few weeks late in uploading, huhuhu... There's really no excuse, but I hope the length of this one makes up for it. Here's another chapter for you fellas, hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.**

**Anyway, the Inu brothers finally make an appearance and they are soooo very OOC, especially poor old Sesshomaru. I hope this won't bother you because this is their character for the rest of the story (or at least up until the part that I have somewhat thougt about already).**

* * *

Chapter 4

_Clang, clang, clang!_

The all too familiar sounds of swords clashing rang throughout the village. A great battle was being fought just by the outskirts of town. The residents are now long accustomed to the sound, as it had been so once a week, every week, for the past two years. At first the idea of two incredibly strong demons turning their humble village into a battleground scared them. But since one of the participants were their resident guardian, they felt at ease. Now the weekly battle of the inu brothers are part of their routine.

* * *

"Faster."

Inuyasha charged again. He swung Tetsusaiga over his head and down onto his opponent. Sesshomaru easily caught the attack with Tenseiga. He started to swing Bakusaiga at Inuyasha's side. Inuyasha' eyes grew wide. He immediately dodged, but only barely missed being cut by the dangerous blade.

"Try harder. Again."

Inuyahsa examined his side. His Robes of the Fire Rat barely missed the swing of Sesshomaru's lethal blade. "Keh," he scoffed and charged yet again at his brother. He faked swing at Sesshomaru's left, but, at the last second, spun and aimed for his right. Seshomaru fumbled slightly, but managed to block the attack with Bakusaiga, the metal cutting into the sleeve of his kimono.

"Good, again."

Inuyasha smiled a triumphant smile, as he pushed harder, tearing more at his brother's sleeve. Sesshomaru's visage hinted at the tiniest smirk in the pup's action. With a burst of strength, he pushed the puppy off him and swung at him with Tenseiga. Inuyasha jumped away from the attack. "Keh, close. But not close enough, Sess." He landed a few feet away from the older inu, skidding a few inches before coming to a full stop. He was now panting softly as he stared the daiyoukai down. Still the mocking smile stayed on his lips.

Sesshomaru stood regally in front of the younger inu. Both of his blades held at the ready on either side. He narrowed his eyes at the nickname. "You insolent pup. How dare you abbreviate this Seshomaru's name into something so shameful?"

Inuyasha smirked at the remark. "Come at me, then, ya bastard!"

Sesshomaru glared harder at his half brother. "Prepare yourself, pup!"

He flexed his finger around the hilt of his swords, then charged at the younger with incredible speed. Inuyasha scrambled to get away, but try as he might, a few blows managed to hit their marks. Sesshomaru was conscious of the blows he lands, though. He only ever hit the younger with the broad side of Tenseiga, a sword that cannot cut, either way. The attacks were meant only to teach the arrogant puppy some humility. In one swift motion, Sesshomaru slapped Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha's hand, then kicked his feet from under him.

"Ow!" Inuyasha stumbled backwards and landed in his rump. He rubbed furiously at the throbbing flesh when the tip of Bakusaiga touched his neck lightly.

Sesshomaru raised an elegant brow at him. "Do you yield?"

Inuyasha fumed. A growl erupted from his chest. _How could he have beaten me so easily?_ He turned from his brother with a small pout.

Sesshomaru threw down both his swords, each sticking into the ground on either side of him. He then stretched out a pale arm at his brother. "Come, that's enough of that."

"Keh." Inuyasha thwarted the outstretched hand and stood up on his own, dusting himself off.

Sesshomaru inwardly chuckled at the immature act, although none of his features expressed the amusement outwardly. "I must commend you, otouto. Your swordsmanship has improved tremendously."

"Of course it's improved! What do you think I've been doing for the past two years?"

"Very well, onto our next line of business." With that, Sesshomaru turned and started off deeper into the woods, never once looking back to see if his brother was following him.

Confident in leaving their swords where they lay, as no other being could possibly be strong enough, nor foolish enough to touch them, Inuyasha followed the daiyoukai into the woods.

* * *

"'Naraku'…" Youko tested the foreign name on his tongue. Such a presumptuous name has been unheard of for the last couple of centuries. Taking up such a name is indeed very old-fashioned.

"Bwahaahaha!" Kuwabara busted, clutching his stomach as he bent down and tears streaming down his cheek in laughter. "'Naraku?' What kind of a name is 'Naraku?'"

"An old one, I am afraid," Naraku mock calmly replied, shutting his eyes to ignore the shrill laughter. "I have been around far longer in this world than you obviously have been, little one." His voice with the faintest, almost undetectable hint of annoyance.

"I don't think I've heard of you before," Hiei hostilely rebutted. He's been patrolling Makai for the last year, and he's been familiar with all creatures and demons that prowl the four corners of the realm, yet never before has he heard of anyone with such a peculiar name.

"You can say that I've ben away for quite some time," Naraku shrugged, finally cracking one of his eyes to study the smaller demon._ He might be useful…_

"And where, pray tell, have you been?" Hiei challenged.

"You guys, I don't think that this is the time to be putting our possible ally in the hot seat," Yusuke intervened. He turned to talk to Naraku directly, "If you could tell us anything, anything at all to help us catch whoever did this to our friend, we would really appreciate it."

Naraku smiled. "I can do more than simply tell you more; I might actually have a way to track your culprit." His eyes glinted with barely concealed mischief. He folded his hands into his sleeve to retrieve a small item. He held out his hand to reveal a pink crystal shard.

"I found this on the ground right by where I found her. Unless this is hers, this could only be from her attacker," Naraku reasoned, fondly fingering the shard, before picking it up between his index gingee and thumb to hold. It sparkled beautifully as it caught some of the light that filtered into the cave.

Youko extended an open hand, "May I take a look at that?" The other handed him the shard. He closed his eyes and focused on the scent coming off the sharp piece of crystal. The dominant smell was from Naraku, he now recognized, but there was also another scent underneath. Faint, but definitely there. _It's him! The scent that just vanished in the clearing, I'm sure of it!_

"What do you think, Kurama?" Hiei asked as he took the shard from the fox and examined it in the light.

With cold determination in his eyes, Youko firmly nodded and said, "It's him. It's definitely him. It's the scent that just vanished from the clearing."

Hiei drew his face into a frustrated frown. "Even if we did know that this belonged to him, we still have no way of tracking him!"

"Not exactly," Naraku chuckled. "I've tinkered with this a bit and found that it's so much more than simply a piece of broken glass."

"Oh yeah? And what more is there to it, huh?" Kuwabara butted in, crossing his arms over his chest, shifting his footing to lean more towards Naraku in a mock hostile way.

Naraku tried to ignore him and walked over to Hiei. He held the smaller demon's hand in his and coaxed it gently to open. He took the shard from Hiei before he spoke. "It would be better if I showed you." Swiftly and forcefully, he brought down the shard across Hiei's palm. A thin, deep wound was left in its wake which immediately bled profusely.

Hiei hissed more in shock than in pain, but instinctively withdrew his hand, clutching it close to his chest.

"Hey, what was that about, you jerk!?" Yusuke stomped closer. He grabbed Naraku by the collar and posed to smack him in the face.

"Yusuke," Hiei's voice called out.

Yusuke turned to look at him. Hiei opened his palm to let everyone see. The deep gash was stitching itself up in front of their eyes. Tendrils of flesh shot out from either side of the wound to knit the flesh back together. Despite Hiei being a formidably strong demon, no one they knew should be able to heal so fast, not without consuming human flesh, anyway. All four men, except Naraku, stared at it with awe.

"Wha-wha-... How…?" Yusuke stammered. His grip on Naraku loosened and he dropped the older demon.

To answer Yusuke and the rest of the group, Naraku spoke up, "This is a shard of the Shikon no Tama, a sacred jewel said to hold immense power. Even such a small shard could easily amplify a demon's power two-threefold. It also enhances a demon's natural healing capabilities."

He turned to face Hiei. "You are a jaganshi, are you not?" Hiei remained fixated in his palm, testing its strength and how well it had actually healed.

"How did you-?" Yusuke started asking before Naraku continued, cutting his question off.

"You can use that to both increase the strength of you tracking abilities, as well as home in to your target." He nonchalantly stated, ignoring the surprised and suspicious gazes the others were giving him.

This snapped Hiei out of his trance. His head whipped up and he snatched the shard from Naraku. "Give me that."

He undid his jagan seal and held the shard between his index and thumb. As his eyes closed, bis jagan opened. It shone a blinding white light as it focused onto the shard. The shard responded with pulsating energy. Tendrils of pink smoke rose up and out as they swirled a few feet in front of Hiei. Electricity crackled at the vortex. The space around it started to warp as the energy slowly ripped a hole through space and time, creating a portal in its wake.

Hiei was panting slightly. He grunted, but caught himself before his knees buckled on him. He knew that this portal led back to the Ningenkai, but somehow opening this specific portal took a heavy toll on him.

"Alraight, let's get this party started!" Kuwabara shouted excitedly as he stepped forward.'#

Hiei placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. "No, I need you to stay here and keep Mukuro company."

"Babysitter duty? Seriously? You insult me, midget!"

Hiei fisted his hand around the collar of Kuwabara's jacket before forcefully jerking at it to face him. "Listen closely, for I will not be repeating myself. That is my mate I am leaving in your hands. Should anything else happen, I will have your life. Is that understood?" He sneered venomously. Kuwabara was about to rebut with some stupid remark when they felt a gust of otherworldly wind swirl by the cave's opening. Suddenly, the space ripped and a portal opened. Through it emerged a teenage Koenma and Hinegeshi.

"Now, now, boys, there's no need for such violence," Koenma cooly said, "I will personally see to Mukuro's wellbeing. Besides," Koenma turned towards the portal from which he and Hinegeshi had come from, which had been left open. "I have some other business here myself."

At this point, Hinegeshi chimed in, "We've been tuning into you guys through your communicators, so there's no need to brief us about what happened." Her sad eyes met Hiei's, just be sure to make whoever did this pay!"

_What else did you think I was planning on doing, little brat?_ Hiei bitterly thought to himself, but chose to nod curtly, instead. He let go of Kuwabara, who stumbled back slightly at the sudden shift in his center of gravity, before he turned his head slightly towards the direction of Naraku. "You, on the other hand, will be coming with us."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so I haven't really proofread this chapter all that properly, even though it is super late (watchu been doin', me?), so I'm not all that sure how it sounds overall. Lemme know what you guys think. Until the next one (which, hopefully, won't take as long to upload). See you!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author Note:**

**Purely inu brothers fluff chapter... or is it? Chapter five is here, and it is LONG! Bruh, I don't even know why it got so long! Anyway, I hope it would still be a fun and exciting chapter to read.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Inuyasha caught up with Sesshomaru in a small clearing a few miles out of town. Sesshomaru drew his swords' sheaths from where they were on his hip and waited for Inuyasha to do the same.

"Ready?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Ready."

On cue, they planted their sheaths on opposite the edges of the clearing, right by where they stood. Energy crackled off the sheaths as they generated a shield enclosing the clearing.

"Now, otouto, we begin." Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles. "Transform, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha drew in a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused. He let his energy loose and felt it transform himself. Jagged, purple stripes appeared on either of his cheeks. His claws and fangs elongated. He opened his eyes and they started to bleed red. A soft gowl welled from deep within his chest.

"Focus, Inuyasha. Control it." Sesshomaru commanded the raging hanyo-turned-youkai.

The newly-turned youkai panted heavily. With each breath, however, the beast grew calmer. The crimson in his eyes slowly faded into its usual gold. Finally, with a last sigh, Inuyasha calmed his youkai down, but still remained transformed.

Sesshomaru has been training his brother to control his full youkai form for the past year. Although there is hardly any threat left to push the young inu over the edge anymore, Inuyasha still fears for the safety of those under his protection should he lose control, for whatever reason.

During the early stages of their training, Sesshomaru gloaded the hanyo into transforming, by beating him into a pulp. Then calmed the beast down with his own blood. Letting the enraged hanyo drink his blood, he found from scriptures of old, would help him regain some sanity, but the strain of digesting a full youkai, or worse, daiyoukai blood would revert the transformation in a few minutes and leave the hanyo feeling ill for at least a few days.

Once before, the enraged hanyo managed to get past the daiyoukai, endangering the very same people Inuyasha wanted to protect. Sesshomaru barely managed to contain his brother before he'd done any real damage to the village. Ever since, they trained a bit further away from the village. As an added precaution, Totosai suggested they use their sheaths to generate a barrier around their training area. The barrier, according to the old swordsmith, may not be strong enough to completely contain the powerful brothers, but it would at least provide a delay for a certain wild hanyo-turned-youkai. Plus, it keeps unwanted participants out of harm's way.

Inuyasha's training has come a long way since then. He can now control his full youkai for a solid five hours. Also, he now keeps a quarter of his full youkai powers open at all times.

This has changed the hanyo in some ways. He has grown significantly taller and broader. He is now almost as tall as Sesshomaru and slightly broader as he is more muscular than the older sibling.

Inuyasha stared back into golden eyes so similar, yet so different from his own. "Okay, bring it on, asshole." He beckoned for the older inu to attack.

"Tch. Such insolence." Although Sesshomaru's expression remained as placid as ever, his voice as monotonous as always, there is a glint in his eyes that was the only tell of the playfulness of the statement. He took on an offensive stance, "Prepare yourself, hanyo."

"Keh. Just shut up and fight, ya prick!" Inuyasha yelled back. He crouched lower into a menacing stance, his eyes shown with excitement and suppressed bloodlust.

In a flash, Sesshomaru was at Inuyasha's side, bringing down his sharp claws onto the younger. It would have torn him to shreds had his senses not been heightened by his full youkai form and jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Sesshomaru's claws dug into the earth, leaving a dent in the hard soil.

"Your colorful vocabulary never ceases to fascinate me, Inuyasha." He said as he stood up, readying for another attack.

"Keep pissing me off and you'll hear a whole lot more, ass-"

Before Inuyasha finished his taunt, Sesshomaru was at him again, this time with a string of attacks. All the younger inu could do was to frantically try to block as much as he can. A claw came swiping at his face from the right, Inuyahsa ducked low, but a foot connected with his stomach, making him stumble back, knocking the wind out of him.

Inuyahsa wheezed, dizzied by the impact of the kick, when his eyes widened as an uppercut smashed his chin upwards. He flew a few feet off and plopped unceremoniously into the ground some distance away from where he stood.

Sesshomaru regained composure. He watched the unmoving figure warily. The purpose of this beating was to push Inuyasha off the edge, to a point where his youkai would feel the need to override his sentient mind. Despite this, Inuyasha must surpass his insatiable bloodlust and remain conscious. He could see Inuyasha's fingers twitch as he sensed a rise in youki being emitted by his brother. _The true test begins now._

"Is that all you got, hanyo?" Sesshomaru taunted, but still watched the other intently. "Get up and fight."

As if following the elder's command, Inuyasha got up but took on a defensive stance. His bangs fell over his face. His tongue was bleeding from where he bit into it and blood filled his mouth before dripping down the corner of his mouth to his chin. A single drop fell onto the ground between his feet.

_Something's not right_

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the pup. Such a tremendous rise in youki in such an accelerated pace often led to the hanyo losing control, according to their previous exercises. Although it's been months since the hanyo last lost control, the older inu chooses to side with precaution and keep his guard up. Something about his brother losing control to his inner youkai still unnerved him even after all these years, though he would not openly admit it.

"Inuyasha?"

A deep rumbling growl emanated from the younger. Slowly he picked his head up to look straight into the older. His eyes were once again tinted blood red.

The smallest of gasps left Sesshomaru's lips. "Inuyasha-!"

Inuyasha leapt off his feet and pounced at Sesshomaru, making them both stumble to the ground. Inuyasha crouched on top of Sesshomaru, who is now lying on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the menaced brother. "Inuyasha, stop-!" Sesshomaru swiped at him to get him off, but Inuyasha caught his wrist easily and pinned it back down to the side of Sesshomaru's head. He tried attacking again with his other hand, but that got caught and pinned to the other side of his head just as easily.

Sesshomaru struggled, but panic started to fester within him as his wrists remained trapped in his brother's grip. "Realease this Sesshomaru!" he growled.

Inuyasha pulled both wrists above Sesshomaru's head and held them down with one hand. He raised his other hand, claws aimed for the older's neck. Sesshomaru's breath hitched as the clawed hand was brought down to its mark.

Suddenly, the hand stopped just before it broke the skin and the creature atop him laughed, not a menacing one, but one that sounded playful and mocking.

"Hahaha! You should have, haha, seen your face, Sess! Hahaha! PRICELESS!" Inuyasha laughed as the red slowly drained from his eyes.

Sesshomaru blinked, half confused and half relieved. Then realization dawned on him as his face twisted back into a snarl. "Get off, you filth!" He growled as he pushed the younger inu off him, who stumbled back but continue rolling on the ground laughing. He sat up, arranged his clothes and smoothed out his hair. Slowly, he exhaled the breath he didn't realize he was holding, willing himself to calm down.

"Woah, haha!" Inuyasha chuckled as he propped himself up on one hand while the other clutched at his side, "It's been a while, haha, since you last, ha, called me that. And here I was thinkin' maybe you and me are getting on better terms." He stood up and extended a helping hand towards Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru cannot hold back the smile he made at that, though it was gone as quickly as it had come. He playfully slapped at the hand in his face. He stood up and dusted himself off before facing his brother. "Pull off another stunt like that and I might just reconsider ending your pitiful existence again, you worthless waste of space."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Ooooh… such big talk. Let's see if you can back that up in round two!"

Inuyasha once again leapt into attack and their battle started once again. Their fight raged on for another few hours.

* * *

"Man, that was good work out!" Inuyasha sighed as he sat himself down on the soft grass, leaning against a tree. He had both arms folded behind his head as he hummed a tune softly to himself. He was still transformed, but Sesshomaru decided that they had enough training. They've learned from previous sessions that proper cool down was needed to allow the hanyo to revert back without putting too much strain on his body.

Sesshomaru gracefully took a seat beside him. He rummaged through the pockets of his sleeves and retrieved a long, red silken ribbon with a tiny golden bell sewn to each of the ends. They made a slight jingling sound as he held one end in between his teeth and started gathering his hair up into a ponytail with the other end.

The tinkling of the bells awoke Inuyasha from his trance. He cracked open an eye just in time to see his brother tying his hair with a piece of silk ribbon. "That looks like a good idea," he said as he sat up straight. "Got another one of those ribbons?"

Sesshomaru paused in the middle of securing the ribbon, thought about it for a second before pulling it off. His long, platinum hair fell back down over his shoulders. He fixed them back behind both ears before patting the space in front of him. "Come here," he motioned for Inuyasha to sit with his back turned to him.

Inuyasha cocked his head, but shrugged and did as he was told. Long, elegant fingers expertly gathered his hair up and secured it in a tight ponytail. He did, however, leave the fringes on either side, so that they frame the hanyo's face. After he was satisfied with how the puppy's hair looked, Sesshomaru turned Inuyasha around so that the younger inu was now facing him. His emotionless gaze studied the other's face in complete silence.

Inuyasha was clearly disturbed by the staring. Nothing ever caught the daiyoukai's attention long enough for him to actually stare. _Unless he wanted to kill you._ Inuyasha added after a thought.

The puppy's discomfort is now starting to show. His twitching ears are now folded down and back into his head. Inuyasha started to protest when Sesshomaru suddenly spoke. "I thought so."

"Huh?" Inuyasha cocked his head to one side. By now his transformation was starting to come undone. His facial markings were the last to go, fading back into the tan of the hanyo's skin.

Sesshomaru shook his head, finally breaking eye contact. "Nothing, it's nothing." He leaned back into the trunk of the tree behind him. "I just thought that you looked so much like our father. Even your facial markings are similar to his."

"Is that so? I mean, I barely saw otosan that time with the Sounga."

"Yes, it's something that you do better than me, regretfully. I am told that I look much more like my Hahaue than Chichiue. Father also wore his hair up with a ribbon similar to that. I used to weaf mine up as well, when I was younger, but I stopped when..." Sesshomaru trailed off.

Inuyasha thought he saw a glimpse of something in his brother's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it was gone. _Sadness? _

Sesshomaru suddenly found the forest canopy very interesting. "Did you know why I agreed to train you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shook his head. _I've been wondering that myself…_

"I have come to truly recognize your power and place in this world not only as my father's son but also as my brother, this you already know. What you do not know is that I have also come to regret never having treated you the way that I should, both as your elder and as your last remaining family. I let my own prejudices which I have so childishly justified by blaming the so-called weakness of your tainted blood, regardless of how illogical, get in the way of fulfilling my duty to you." He was now staring back directly into Inuyasha's eyes. Although the face looked as cold and placid as ever, there was a certain softness to his brother's eyes. "I… I had hoped..." Sesshomaru averted his gaze again to stare at the ground. He whispered something barely audible, but Inuyasha did not catch what he said.

The older inu suddenly stood up. He abruptly changed the topic before Inuyasha had the chance to ask him to repeat what he had just said. "You have never gone to the Western Palace, have you? Perhaps one day I will take you to our palace. It is past time that my heir finally came home, after all. But for now, I think it is time that we started to head back." He started walking back into the forest.

"Hey, wait!" Inuyasha scrambled after him. "Hang on, you can't just-!"

Suddenly, the wind picked up and a blinding light shone behind them. They both turned in time to see a rip in space appear in the middle of the clearing. Four mysterious men stepped out of the portal. Two of them seemed to be demon, one being a silver fox demon and the other a fire demon, while the other two looked to be human enough. _No, the tall black haired one is definitely part demon,_ _too. _Inuyasha thought to himself. Physically, none of them looked to be any older than the inu brothers. Nevertheless, it was clear that their powers were not to be taken lightly.

A fifth figure stood at the mouth of the passage, but the glaring light shining through behind him made it impossible to tell his features. A gust blew past him, rustling and shifting his hair and clothes.

The scent of the fifth mystery man wafted to the brothers' sensitive noses. Their eyes grew wide at the recognition.

"How... how is this... possible? How are you... HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Worlds collide and it's bound to get messy. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.**


End file.
